Wound infection essay

Infection of the wound triggers the body's immune response, causing inflammation and tissue damage, as well as slowing the healing process. Many infections will be self-contained and resolve on their own, such as a scratch or infected hair follicle. Other infections, if left untreated, can become more severe and require medical intervention.

A wound can be defined as, "…the interruption of continuity in a tissue, usually following trauma. Skin is predominantly affected although any tissue, whether nerve, bone or organ, may be wounded" (Definition of a Wound).

Approaches to treatment can be broken down by whether the infection is systemic or localized just to the wound area. Systemic treatment often will call for oral antibiotics, the specific type determined by microbiological investigation and local infection control protocols.

Infected Wounds. Overview. An infected wound is a localized defect or excavation of the skin or underlying soft tissue in which pathogenic organisms have invaded into viable tissue surrounding the wound. Infection of the wound triggers the body's immune response, causing inflammation and tissue damage, as well as slowing the healing process.